Aryankavu Tunnel

Aryankavu Railway Tunnel

Overview
Official name	Aryankavu–Puliyara (Kottavasal) Tunnel
Other name(s)	Kottavasal Tunnel
Line	Kollam–Sengottai Chord Line
Location	Aryankavu, Kerala - Tamilnadu Border
Status	Active
Crosses	Western Ghats
Start	Aryankavu in Kerala
End	Puliyara in Tamil Nadu
Operation
Work begun	1901
Opens	1903
Owner	Indian Railways
Operator	Southern Railway zone of Indian Railways
Traffic	Train
Technical
Length	891.70 Meter
No. of tracks	1
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) (Broad gauge)
Electrified	No
Operating speed	30km/hour
Highest elevation	274.320 Meters above M.S.L

The Aryankavu–Puliyara (Kottavasal) tunnel, also known as the "Aryankavu tunnel", is a colonial-era railway tunnel located in the southern Western Ghats on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border in India. This 891.70 meter long tunnel is a section of the Kollam-Sengottai railway line, which was the first line in the former Travancore Kingdom and has been in operation for more than a century. This tunnel's construction began in 1901, and two years later, in 1903, it was finally completed. The Travancore Kingdom's conch insignia has been inscribed on both sides of the tunnel. Aryankavu railway station in Kerala and Bhagavathipuram Station in Tamil Nadu are connected via the Aryankavu tunnel. It is the longest railway tunnel in Kerala and contains the state border between Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The border between Kerala and Tamil Nadu is located 672 meters inside the tunnel from the Aryankavu entrance in Kerala.